Tenancy Fraud Awareness Week 2014 runs between Monday 3 and Sunday 9 February, and social housing providers and fraud busting-agencies across the region are encouraging members of the public to report any suspicions of tenancy fraud.

With tenancy fraud now a criminal offence following the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013, this latest campaign builds on an anti-Housing Fraud campaign launched in August 2013 by City of York Council and its counter fraud specialist partner Veritau.

This new campaign is backed by local partners to the anti-tenancy and housing fraud network, which includes Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, Harrogate Borough Council, Yorkshire Housing, Richmondshire District Council, York Housing Association, Craven District Council, Broadacres, Selby District Council and the Home Group, with other social housing providers across the region.

In 2013, Veritau helped City of York Council recover 30 properties that were being misused, as well as blocking 12 false applications for housing.

Nationally, social housing fraud costs the public purse at least £900 million each year and a shortage of social housing combined with the high cost of private rented properties in the area, has made housing fraud attractive to criminals. It is important that properties being misused are identified and recovered as quickly as possible so that people on the waiting list can be housed.

Examples of tenancy fraud include:

• tenants letting out their home without the council’s or housing association’s knowledge or permission
• obtaining a home by giving false information
• no longer living at the property
• people staying in a council property after the legal tenant has left the property or died, without informing the council or housing association
• even selling on the keys of a home for a one off payment
• council tenants swapping without the council’s or housing association’s consent.

Any suspicions of fraud against the council should be reported to the council’s fraud hotline, 01904 552935.All information received is treated with the utmost confidence.